Insulated door and method of construction

Abstract

An insulated door for refrigerators, freezers or similar cabinets where the inner and outer door surfaces are normally subjected to substantially different temperatures. The main door components, the door face and drum, are interconnected without the use of threaded fasteners such as screws or bolts. Instead a hardened, foamed in situ insulating material forms the main interconnection between the door face and drum, securing them together but yet accommodating thermally induced, relative movement between the two components. In constructing the door S-shaped retainers are used which receive in their oppositely opening loops the edges of the face and drum. Temporary spacers are then interposed between the face and drum edges for the foaming operation. Following the filling of the door cavity with insulating material the spacers are removed and an anchoring leg of a gasket is snapped into place into the cavity left by the removal of the spacers, securing the gasket to the door without the use of screws or other mechanical fasteners, but permitting the gasket to be removed as necessary for replacement or repair.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In an insulated door construction including a door face of open, tray-like configuration having an outer wall, a side wall portion extending from said outer wall and a rim extending from said side wall portion inwardly over said outer wall in spaced relationship thereto and terminating in an inner edge defining an opening into said tray-like face, a drum having an outer periphery disposed over said opening in said face and defining with said face a hollow enclosed chamber, and a foamed in situ insulating material substantially filling said chamber and interconnecting said face and said drum the improvement comprising: retaining means extending about the edges of both said face rim and said drum periphery,   that portion of said retaining means extending about said edge of said face rim providing an opening of substantially greater width than the thickness of said edge of said face rim and into which said edge of said face rim is loosely received in non-clamping relationship,   said portion of said retaining means and that portion of said face rim received in said portion of said retaining means defining a cavity extending about said door, and   a gasket having an anchoring portion received in said cavity without being adhesively secured therein or attached to said retaining means or said rim by mechanical fasteners.   
     
     
       2. The door of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises: a substantially S-shaped member having oppositely opening portions receiving said face rim and said drum periphery.   
     
     
       3. The door of claim 2 wherein: said oppositely opening portion of said retaining means receiving said face rim is of sufficient depth to allow said retaining means to be positioned outwardly of said face far enough to allow said drum periphery to clear said retaining means as said drum is moved into position opposite said face.